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Welcome back Wilf!

I would not be surprised at all. Non-trivial numbers of people believe all kinds of things, and some of those things are fatuous nonsense. Others are merely differences of opinion while still...

They were obviously dithering pant-wetters.



Which explains why we bailed out of Iraq in 2007, Vietnam in 1968, Afghanistan in 2005, Korea in August 1950 - oh wait....

If anything, the US...

Here's a thought, maybe those two are not mutually exclusive?



Your ad hominems are growing increasingly tiresome and they undercut the credibility of your arguments. Please try to make your...

JMA,

Technically we're not doing CAS in Libya, but air interdiction. There is not, as far as we know, a ground element to identify targets and coordinate strikes (unless you count the grids I see...

David,

Agree with Ken that I'm not sure those are "resolved" and, of course, it's hard to know the counterfactual. I'm not saying it can't be done, but those two examples would indicate that it's...

Can you provide any example where what you've described has actually worked?

Fuchs,

The problem with your arguments, in my view, is that your credibility suffers when you offer a series of contradictory arguments in support of the same conclusion. Variously you've...

So your argument is these missiles systems can't possibly be operational because Libya is a desert and Libyan's don't do maintenance? You are, of course, entitled to your opinion but I would only...

On the first point, Fuchs began by saying that Libyan air defenses were so weak, he'd be willing to fly a commercial learjet through them. Then he said that self-protection ECM pods would protect...

Fuchs,

Not all aircraft have ESM suites. ESM suites have limitations which is why they are never used alone. Just because a system is old doesn't mean it isn't dangerous. I seem to recall that...

It looks like the DEAD campaign didn't destroy everything. I haven't seen anything to indicate the sites near Sabha were hit, nor the sites in rebel-controlled areas.

Personally, I wouldn't make that bet with you because dead men usually don't pay their debts.

Seriously though, it's a question of degree. If you're suggesting that we can simply ignore the air...

Bill,

Those are all good points, but they rest on the assumptions that Gaddafi will go (one way or another) and that the rebels will win, unite the country and determine their own future.
...

Those are some of the reasons I think this is going to end up like OSW. OSW/ONW had similar mandates - to "protect the population" via the limited means of air power. That is not a mission air power...

You're right about Afghanistan, but Afghanistan is not Libya. Afghans have a decade of experience. Afghans have an established training and supply network. Afghans are more organized. The...

I suspect the two main factors are lack of expertise combined with a lack of time due to the rapid retreat.

I was pointing out that not everyone agrees with Mr. Baroin's position on what the resolution authorizes. It's pretty clear it does not explicitly authorize regime change since it is focused on...

and




Those two are related. You'd think the people who drafted this policy would be more cognizant of how easily the "protecting the population" justification could be gamed and manipulated....

I wouldn't characterize it that way at all. First, what is the objective? Do you know? I sure don't. The use of military force must have a purpose - what is that purpose? "Doing something"...

I doubt that truer words have been written.

Why is it up to the USA to decide Qaddafi's fate, one way or another?

Fuchs,

Crazy and calculating are not mutually exclusive attributes.

Bob,

That's all well and good, but what, specifically, would you have the US do?

Yeah, what CMSBelt said. George will also has some good questions that need answering in today's WAPO: